Why do professional tennis players carry balls in their pockets?

Following Andy Murray's match yesterday and the numerous balls that fell from his short pockets, why do professional players carry spare balls? Especially, when there are ball boys on hand to provide them with spare balls..

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Best Answer: They're used to it, it's efficiency, they practice for hrs per day, so without ball boys massive amount of times will be lost... it's just like, why don't we finish our work first then listen to music separately, well because we're used to it, it's okay for us, same thing applies to them...

But I've seen some players, especially in the WTA who don't keep balls in pocket... llike Serena Williams... ;)

As a person who played the tour for 10 years, I can tell you there are several answers, personally, if I had to turn and wait for a ball boy, I would lose my concentration, and second, with some players it changes their rhythm. One of the big problems wth professional tennis is the lines people and ball boys are not paid, they are not professionals, they volunteer for the job and go through a small training, it is great that they give up their time, but with all the big money in today's game, lines people should be paid and should travel, ball boys and girls not such a big deal. As a player when I see and old man or woman with coke bottle glasses on the line to call a serve that can travel on average well over the 100mph mark, I pray I get the right call! I want young professional people, how would you feel, if there were these same people as referee's in Football?

Hmmm I always wondered that too. Most tennis players access the quality of the balls they are given before serving. I think they can only request 3. They look at the pressure and fuzz of the ball.. And often throw away the one that they are least comfortable with. They keep the other one in their pocket so they can keep track of it. They might not get the same one back from a ballboy and they'd just have to use whatever is given to them. I might be wrong.. But that is the only explanation I can think of.

It's a practice that relates to playing tennis in the park where you don't have ball boys. When it's your serve, you go to where the balls are kept, take two and put one in your pocket in case you need a second serve. Although there would be no problem in getting the ball boys to pass you one ball for each service, the men's game is still played in the same way.

The women's practice of stuffing one ball up their knickers is harder to explain. Before the days of ball boys, women played in long skirts and a convenient bit of elastic wouldn't have been available.

Habit. Most players do this, but not all. I think, after Murray last night, more may be stopping this - or buy shorts with bigger pockets again. Obviously somethings was off with what Murray was wearing although he's the only player I've noticed having problems this year. So far.

the games gets to be long and they can control being quicker and consistent so they dont have too big of a rest between points so you dont loose your "touch" . between each point
and because tennis matches are always so long (unless doubles .. are usually quicker)
they try to do that so they can cut down on time and keep on their games consistent.